StarZero All shows Try the podcast clipper →

Jan 25, 2026 · 16m · starter-story

How I Used Reddit to Build a $34K/Month SaaS

Romàn Czerny · 8m spoken Pat Walls · 6m spoken
0:00 / 0:00
▶ Watch on YouTube →

gold bands on the timeline = statements, start to end. Hover to read, click to jump. CC turns on captions

In this interview, entrepreneur Roman explains how he scaled his B2B SaaS platform, Goji Berry AI, to over $30,000 monthly recurring revenue in four months using organic Reddit marketing and transparent founder storytelling. He shares his actionable playbook for viral distribution, handling community backlash, and building lean intent-driven outreach software.

How this conversation actually went

Every chapter scored 0–10 on four independent dynamics. Hover any point for the reasoning behind the score. Pat holds 39.8% of the talking time here. How this is scored →

Pat as informed peer 3.8 Guest teaching 4.6 Guest disagreement 0.0 Pat pushing back 0.4
05100:0010:001:32–3:50 · Pat as informed peer 3/10 Introducing Roman, Goji Berry AI, and Revenue Metrics Pat warmly introduces Roman and asks him to share his background, SaaS revenue metrics, and business model. Roman explains his transition from mechanical engineering to SaaS and how his previous exit informed Goji Berry AI.3:50–6:37 · Pat as informed peer 2/10 Reddit Case Studies: Influencer Experiments and YC Rejection Roman provides concrete examples of Reddit posts, explaining how sharing data from influencer experiments and framing a Y Combinator rejection drove thousands of visitors and paying customers. Pat listens enthusiastically before transitioning into a sponsor read.6:37–9:55 · Pat as informed peer 2/10 The Three Core Factors Behind Viral Reddit Posts Roman delivers a step-by-step masterclass on Reddit distribution, covering browser separation, warmup periods, engagement pods, and profile bio optimization. Pat steps back and allows Roman to lay out his entire tactical framework uninterrupted.9:55–12:39 · Pat as informed peer 6/10 Content Ideation and Handling Reddit Backlash and Haters When Roman discusses navigating Reddit trolls and skepticism, Pat actively interjects with his own founder experience growing Starter Story on Reddit despite community petitions to ban him. Roman follows up with a brief product walkthrough.12:40–16:38 · Pat as informed peer 6/10 Goji Berry AI Tech Stack and Monthly Operating Costs Roman details his software stack and monthly SaaS expenses before wrapping up. During the post-interview debrief with producer Gus, Pat demonstrates strong founder expertise by framing Reddit's true role as a validation and early-feedback engine rather than a long-term scaling channel.1:32–3:50 · Guest teaching 4/10 Introducing Roman, Goji Berry AI, and Revenue Metrics Pat warmly introduces Roman and asks him to share his background, SaaS revenue metrics, and business model. Roman explains his transition from mechanical engineering to SaaS and how his previous exit informed Goji Berry AI.3:50–6:37 · Guest teaching 5/10 Reddit Case Studies: Influencer Experiments and YC Rejection Roman provides concrete examples of Reddit posts, explaining how sharing data from influencer experiments and framing a Y Combinator rejection drove thousands of visitors and paying customers. Pat listens enthusiastically before transitioning into a sponsor read.6:37–9:55 · Guest teaching 7/10 The Three Core Factors Behind Viral Reddit Posts Roman delivers a step-by-step masterclass on Reddit distribution, covering browser separation, warmup periods, engagement pods, and profile bio optimization. Pat steps back and allows Roman to lay out his entire tactical framework uninterrupted.9:55–12:39 · Guest teaching 4/10 Content Ideation and Handling Reddit Backlash and Haters When Roman discusses navigating Reddit trolls and skepticism, Pat actively interjects with his own founder experience growing Starter Story on Reddit despite community petitions to ban him. Roman follows up with a brief product walkthrough.12:40–16:38 · Guest teaching 3/10 Goji Berry AI Tech Stack and Monthly Operating Costs Roman details his software stack and monthly SaaS expenses before wrapping up. During the post-interview debrief with producer Gus, Pat demonstrates strong founder expertise by framing Reddit's true role as a validation and early-feedback engine rather than a long-term scaling channel.1:32–3:50 · Guest disagreement 0/10 Introducing Roman, Goji Berry AI, and Revenue Metrics Pat warmly introduces Roman and asks him to share his background, SaaS revenue metrics, and business model. Roman explains his transition from mechanical engineering to SaaS and how his previous exit informed Goji Berry AI.3:50–6:37 · Guest disagreement 0/10 Reddit Case Studies: Influencer Experiments and YC Rejection Roman provides concrete examples of Reddit posts, explaining how sharing data from influencer experiments and framing a Y Combinator rejection drove thousands of visitors and paying customers. Pat listens enthusiastically before transitioning into a sponsor read.6:37–9:55 · Guest disagreement 0/10 The Three Core Factors Behind Viral Reddit Posts Roman delivers a step-by-step masterclass on Reddit distribution, covering browser separation, warmup periods, engagement pods, and profile bio optimization. Pat steps back and allows Roman to lay out his entire tactical framework uninterrupted.9:55–12:39 · Guest disagreement 0/10 Content Ideation and Handling Reddit Backlash and Haters When Roman discusses navigating Reddit trolls and skepticism, Pat actively interjects with his own founder experience growing Starter Story on Reddit despite community petitions to ban him. Roman follows up with a brief product walkthrough.12:40–16:38 · Guest disagreement 0/10 Goji Berry AI Tech Stack and Monthly Operating Costs Roman details his software stack and monthly SaaS expenses before wrapping up. During the post-interview debrief with producer Gus, Pat demonstrates strong founder expertise by framing Reddit's true role as a validation and early-feedback engine rather than a long-term scaling channel.1:32–3:50 · Pat pushing back 0/10 Introducing Roman, Goji Berry AI, and Revenue Metrics Pat warmly introduces Roman and asks him to share his background, SaaS revenue metrics, and business model. Roman explains his transition from mechanical engineering to SaaS and how his previous exit informed Goji Berry AI.3:50–6:37 · Pat pushing back 0/10 Reddit Case Studies: Influencer Experiments and YC Rejection Roman provides concrete examples of Reddit posts, explaining how sharing data from influencer experiments and framing a Y Combinator rejection drove thousands of visitors and paying customers. Pat listens enthusiastically before transitioning into a sponsor read.6:37–9:55 · Pat pushing back 0/10 The Three Core Factors Behind Viral Reddit Posts Roman delivers a step-by-step masterclass on Reddit distribution, covering browser separation, warmup periods, engagement pods, and profile bio optimization. Pat steps back and allows Roman to lay out his entire tactical framework uninterrupted.9:55–12:39 · Pat pushing back 1/10 Content Ideation and Handling Reddit Backlash and Haters When Roman discusses navigating Reddit trolls and skepticism, Pat actively interjects with his own founder experience growing Starter Story on Reddit despite community petitions to ban him. Roman follows up with a brief product walkthrough.12:40–16:38 · Pat pushing back 1/10 Goji Berry AI Tech Stack and Monthly Operating Costs Roman details his software stack and monthly SaaS expenses before wrapping up. During the post-interview debrief with producer Gus, Pat demonstrates strong founder expertise by framing Reddit's true role as a validation and early-feedback engine rather than a long-term scaling channel.

speaking balance: gold is Pat, purple is the guest (3 minute bins)

0:00 · Pat 57% · guest 43%0:00 · Pat 57% · guest 43%3:00 · Pat 28.5% · guest 71.5%3:00 · Pat 28.5% · guest 71.5%6:00 · Pat 32.9% · guest 67.1%6:00 · Pat 32.9% · guest 67.1%9:00 · Pat 36.3% · guest 63.7%9:00 · Pat 36.3% · guest 63.7%12:00 · Pat 25.7% · guest 74.3%12:00 · Pat 25.7% · guest 74.3%15:00 · Pat 74.9% · guest 25.1%15:00 · Pat 74.9% · guest 25.1%
Sharpest disagreement ▶ 10:38 Dealing with aggressive Reddit skepticism

While polite toward the host, Roman describes his firm posture when dealing with critics online by putting up undeniable financial proof and bluntly blocking abusive commenters.

 Hardest push from Pat ▶ 14:45 Pat reframes Reddit's limitations for scaling

Pat clarifies the strategic limits of Reddit, pushing back on the notion that it works for large-scale growth and emphasizing instead that its value lies in early user discovery and brutal product feedback.

 Biggest teaching moment ▶ 7:57 Tactical masterclass on Reddit account safety

Roman methodically educates the host on algorithmic mechanics and anti-ban safeguards, detailing browser isolation, email age requirements, and hidden profile histories.

 Pat holds their own ▶ 11:08 Pat shares Starter Story's Reddit origins

Pat demonstrates his own marketing expertise by detailing how he built Starter Story on Reddit and pushed through community campaigns attempting to get him permanently banned.
the scores for every segment, with the reasoning behind each
ChapterTopicPat as informed peerGuest teachingGuest disagreementPat pushing backWhy
Introducing Roman, Goji Berry AI, and Revenue Metrics 3400 Pat warmly introduces Roman and asks him to share his background, SaaS revenue metrics, and business model. Roman explains his transition from mechanical engineering to SaaS and how his previous exit informed Goji Berry AI.
Reddit Case Studies: Influencer Experiments and YC Rejection 2500 Roman provides concrete examples of Reddit posts, explaining how sharing data from influencer experiments and framing a Y Combinator rejection drove thousands of visitors and paying customers. Pat listens enthusiastically before transitioning into a sponsor read.
The Three Core Factors Behind Viral Reddit Posts 2700 Roman delivers a step-by-step masterclass on Reddit distribution, covering browser separation, warmup periods, engagement pods, and profile bio optimization. Pat steps back and allows Roman to lay out his entire tactical framework uninterrupted.
Content Ideation and Handling Reddit Backlash and Haters 6401 When Roman discusses navigating Reddit trolls and skepticism, Pat actively interjects with his own founder experience growing Starter Story on Reddit despite community petitions to ban him. Roman follows up with a brief product walkthrough.
Goji Berry AI Tech Stack and Monthly Operating Costs 6301 Roman details his software stack and monthly SaaS expenses before wrapping up. During the post-interview debrief with producer Gus, Pat demonstrates strong founder expertise by framing Reddit's true role as a validation and early-feedback engine rather than a long-term scaling channel.

Statements from this episode (15)

Assertion Not checkable as stated
Czerny: Scaled Goji Berry AI to $30K MRR in Four Months
“We do about 30 K MRR. Four months ago, we were doing zero in revenue, and Reddit is an important part in our success”
Romàn Czerny Jan 25, 2026 ▶ 1:44
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Czerny: Scaled Coco AI to $50K MRR Before US Sale
“So in 2023, I launched my first SaaS called Coco AI. We scaled it to 50 K MRR with Outreach. And then we sold it to a U.S. Venture.”
Romàn Czerny Jan 25, 2026 ▶ 3:28
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Czerny: Reddit Marketing Drove 11M Impressions and 40K Visitors
“We got more than eleven million impressions and more than 40,000 visitors on our website, which is insane.”
Romàn Czerny Jan 25, 2026 ▶ 4:01
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Czerny: Reddit Post on LinkedIn Influencers Brought 10-15 Clients
“This post is called, I paid five inferences on LinkedIn to promote my SaaS. Here's what's 1250 dollars got me, and it got 160 K views, 543 upvotes. In terms of visitors, it got something like 2000 visitors, and out of 2000 visitors, we probably got something l…”
Romàn Czerny Jan 25, 2026 ▶ 4:37
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Czerny: Y Combinator Rejection Post Gained 179K Views and 15 Clients
“For example, I got rejected from the Y Combinator interview. So we got selected for the interview, but we failed the interview. Well, I said, okay, why not make it a post? And we got more than 179,000 views. We got maybe 15 clients out of this”
Romàn Czerny Jan 25, 2026 ▶ 5:21
Insight
Czerny: Reddit Posts Need Maximum Upvotes in First 10 Minutes
“So you need to get as many votes as you can in the first five to 10 minutes.”
Romàn Czerny Jan 25, 2026 ▶ 7:17
Insight
Czerny: Never Link Your SaaS Directly in a Reddit Post
“And then third thing that's really important is never putting your SaaS directly in the post, and you can trigger curiosity by highlighting it, and as I said before, putting some proof, and the people reading this post know that it's real, and that we are not …”
Romàn Czerny Jan 25, 2026 ▶ 7:33
Assertion Contradicted
Czerny: New Emails Combined With New Reddit Accounts Trigger Bans
“And when you create an account, do not create it with a new email. So if you do the combo new email plus new Reddit account, You will get banned right away.”
Romàn Czerny Jan 25, 2026 ▶ 8:08
Disclosure
Czerny Uses 15-Person Upvote Pod to Manipulate Reddit Algorithm
“What we've done internally is we have a group of 15 marketers where everyone shares their Reddit post, everyone upvotes the other post, and then external People are going to like, is going to rank higher and higher and higher.”
Romàn Czerny Jan 25, 2026 ▶ 9:30
Insight
Czerny: Replying to Every Comment Boosts Reddit Post Ranking
“Step eight, you reply to every comment. Absolutely. Every one of them. This is going to give you traction. This is going to show engagement and the more engagement you have on the post, the more upvote you get and the higher you are going to rank.”
Romàn Czerny Jan 25, 2026 ▶ 9:43
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Walls: Starter Story Acquired First 1,000 Users on Reddit
“You may not be aware, but I grew Starter Story on Reddit. That's how we got our first thousand users, monetized the business,”
Pat Walls Jan 25, 2026 ▶ 11:11
Assertion Supported
Walls: Reddit Users Created a Petition to Ban Starter Story
“People were so mad that we were sharing these business stories on starter story that they created a petition to ban us from Reddit.”
Pat Walls Jan 25, 2026 ▶ 11:18
Disclosure
Czerny: Goji Berry AI Spends $800 Monthly on Instantly AI
“So we use Instantly AI, a great tool to do cold email. So that costs about 800 dollars per month to run it because we do very high volume.”
Romàn Czerny Jan 25, 2026 ▶ 12:51
Disclosure
Czerny Uses ChatGPT and Nano Banana for All Graphics
“We use ChatGPT plus Nano Banana to create every post and every graphic design as well. So that's maybe about 40 dollars per month.”
Romàn Czerny Jan 25, 2026 ▶ 13:23
Insight
Walls: Reddit is for Your First 100 Customers, Not Scale
“I think red is not a platform to get scale. It's not a platform to hit 10,000 MRR, 20,000 MRR, but Reddit is amazing and why it's especially valuable for anybody watching this right now. If your product is not good enough, go post on Reddit. If you're worried …”
Pat Walls Jan 25, 2026 ▶ 14:45
Made with StarZero

Turn any episode into a week of clips.

This entire site, about 80 episodes transcribed, diarized, checked and made playable, runs on the StarZero media pipeline. Drop in your own episode and the podcast clipper finds the moments worth sharing, cuts them, captions them, and reframes them for every feed.

Try the podcast clipper Learn more